Bassani made his career entirely in Northern Italy. He was born
in Padua and died in Bergamo. In between he is believed to have
studied in Venice - probably with Daniele Castrovillari and
in Ferrara, with Giovanni Legrenzi. From 1667 onwards he worked
as an organist at the religious fraternity of Accademia della
Morte in Ferrara. In June of 1677 he was made a member of the
Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, founded some eleven years
earlier by Vincenzo Maria Carrati. In 1682 he was elected principe
of the Accademia. At various times he held posts in Finale Emilia,
just over twenty miles north of Bologna, at the court of Duke
Alessandro II (near Modena), and in Ferrara. From 1686 he was
maestro dicapella of the cathedral at Ferrar.
The last years of his life, from 1712, were spent in Bergamo,
where he was in charge of music at the church of Santa Maria
Maggiore and taught in the music school of Congregazionè
di Carita - full details can be found in Richard Haselbach’s
Giovanni Battista Bassani of 1955.

Of the thirteen operas Bassani is known to have written only
a few arias from one of them (Gli amori all moda of 1688)
seem to survive. His sacred vocal works have fared rather better,
several oratorios and other works being known. A number of attractive
cantatas also survive. One of the oratorios, La morta delusa
dal pietoso suffragio (1687) got a very decent recording
back in 2002, from Ensemble Fenice conducted by Jean Tubéry.
The well-developed dramatic sense, the interplay of ideas and
emotions in the interaction of five characters, suggesting a
composer of real imagination. There is also a 2009 recording
of La tromba della divina misericordia (1676) on Concerto
(CD 2044), a recording I haven’t heard but which has received
a good deal of acclaim. It is conducted by Carlo Centemeri -
organist on this new recording of the Sinfonie - and the Ensemble
StilModerno are amongst the forces deployed on it.

During his lifetime Bassani had a considerable reputation as
a violinist. It is somewhat surprising, therefore, that of purely
instrumental works we appear to have - beside a few stray pieces,
mainly for organ - only two sets of twelve sonatas, published
as his opus 1 and opus 5. Of opus 1, published as Baletti,
Correnti, Gighe e Sarabande in 1677, there’s a recording
by Ensemble Armonico Cimento on Tactus (TC 542701). Of the opus
5 collection there doesn’t appear to be any previous recording.
The opus 1 sonatas all have four movements - each comprising
the four dance movements indicated on the collection’s
title-page and in the same order. In his opus 5 set - it is
striking that Bassani makes no use of the word ‘sonata’
in the forma title of either collection - Bassani varies the
form rather more: some are in four movements, some in five and
some in six. All are built around the alternation of fast and
slow movements.

I don’t think that one would necessarily guess that the
composer of these sonatas was a famous violinist, since there
is little sense of ostentation or virtuosity. Bassani was not,
presumably, writing these pieces for himself to play. In his
helpful booklet note Carlo Centemeri suggests that they may
have been intended for ecclesiastical use, with various movements
suitable for different points in a service: “the canzone
(at the Epistle), the ricercare (often Cromatico, after the
Creed), the solemn toccata before the Mass, the ‘durezze
et ligature’ toccata (for the Elevation) and some dance
movements suitable for Communion or the end of the service”.
The suggestion is certainly a plausible one but, even if correct,
it doesn’t limit the ways in which we should hear this
music. It isn’t hard to imagine other social contexts
in which it would work well and it certainly engages and sustains
a listener’s interest if heard as ‘pure’ music.

Several of the movements Bassani marks ‘grave’ -
such as the first movement of Sonata 2, the second of Sonata
4 and the second of Sonata 11 - have a powerful and haunting
beauty, solemn and sweet, dignified and human. Bassani can ‘dance’
too. The brief presto which closes Sonata 9 got me up from my
chair each time I played it. The allegro which closes Sonata
3 communicates a spirit-uplifting joy. The alternation of slow
and fast in Sonata 8 - its six movements marked grave - presto
- grave - allegro - grave - allegro - produces a delightfully
balanced effect, and seems to suggest something of the complementarity
of human nature in a way which musical works altogether more
huge in scale can’t always manage; the whole Sonata is
less than six minutes long. In short this is fine music. It
is well-played on this recording. The Ensemble StilModerno is
thoroughly at home in the idiom. The instrumental interplay
is perfectly judged though their performance is clearly thoroughly
informed by a knowledge of baroque practice. They choose to
play on modern instruments. Only those who care more about authenticity
than about music will be troubled by their choice. Anyone who
loves the instrumental music of this period is urged to hear
this.